The invention relates generally to gas distribution manifolds for supplying gas to a plasma chamber. More specifically, the invention relates to such a manifold having a perforated gas distribution plate suspended by flexible side walls which accommodate thermal expansion of the plate.
Electronic devices, such as flat panel displays and integrated circuits, commonly are fabricated by a series of process steps in which layers are deposited on a substrate and the deposited material is etched into desired patterns. The process steps commonly include plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (CVD) processes and plasma etch processes.
Plasma processes require supplying a process gas mixture to a vacuum chamber called a plasma chamber, and then applying electrical or electromagnetic power to excite the process gas to a plasma state. The plasma decomposes the gas mixture into ion species that perform the desired deposition or etch process.
In capacitively excited CVD chambers, the plasma is excited by RF power applied between an anode electrode and a cathode electrode. Generally the substrate is mounted on a pedestal or susceptor that functions as the cathode electrode, and the anode electrode is mounted a short distance from, and parallel to, the substrate. Commonly the anode electrode also functions as a gas distribution plate for supplying the process gas mixture into the chamber. The anode electrode is perforated with hundreds or thousands of orifices through which the process gas mixture flows into the gap between the anode and cathode. The orifices are spaced across the surface of the gas distribution plate so as to maximize the spatial uniformity of the process gas mixture adjacent the substrate. Such a gas distribution plate, also called a diffuser plate or xe2x80x9cshower headxe2x80x9d, is described in commonly assigned U.S. Pat. No. 4,854,263 issued Aug. 8, 1989 to Chang et al.
Perforated gas distribution plates typically are rigidly mounted to the lid or upper wall of the plasma chamber. Rigid mounting has the disadvantage of not accommodating thermal expansion of the perforated plate as it acquires heat from the plasma. The consequent mechanical stresses on the plate can distort or crack the plate. Alleviating mechanical stress is most important with the larger distribution plates required to process larger workpieces, such as large flat panel displays. Therefore, a need exists for a gas distribution device that minimizes such thermally induced mechanical stresses.
Another shortcoming of conventional gas distribution plates is that they generally remain cool during the CVD process, hence they contribute to undesirable heat loss from the surface of the substrate. Specifically, conventional gas distribution plates generally are bolted directly to a chamber lid or side wall that has high thermal mass and high thermal conductivity, so that the lid or side wall functions as a heat sink drawing heat away from the distribution plate. Therefore, conventional designs typically maintain the gas distribution plate at an undesirably low temperature.
The invention is a gas inlet manifold for a plasma chamber. The manifold has a perforated gas distribution plate suspended by a flexible side wall which accommodates thermal expansion or contraction of the gas distribution plate. The invention is advantageous to avoid distortion or cracking of the gas distribution plate in response to such thermal expansion or contraction.
In a preferred embodiment, the flexible side wall has a plurality of segments separated by small gaps, and the manifold includes a novel sealing flange that minimizes gas leakage through the gaps while permitting movement of the flexible side wall segments.
In another aspect, the invention is facilitates operation of the perforated gas distribution plate at an elevated temperature. The gas distribution plate is suspended from the chamber wall by inlet manifold side walls. The inlet manifold side walls interpose substantial thermal impedance between the gas distribution plate and the chamber wall, thereby allowing the gas distribution plate to increase in temperature. This aspect of the invention is advantageous to help reduce heat loss from the exposed surface of the workpiece during operation of the chamber.